A Vampire's Revolution

 

(Originally posted on r/WritingPrompts, inspired by this prompt: https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/1eqg4xn/wp_many_vampires_are_foppish_lords_and_ladies/ )

"The tyrants shall be my prey so that the blood of the innocent may be spared."

That is, and always has been, my motto. Of course originally I meant it in a metaphorical sense. I'd never imagined it would ever take on a literal meaning. But I didn't expect a handful of the tyrants to be literal vampires either.

One such vampiric tyrant turned me, thinking he could reeducate me. He brought me to the brink of starvation, then brought in one of my comrades for me to feed on. Nedyra Silverbloom. A halfling. Not much of a fighter, but the kindest and bravest soul I've ever known.

"Nymila?" Nedyra asked as she was shoved into my cell, bound hand and foot.

It was taking all my willpower to keep my hunger under control.

"He turned you, didn't he?"

I nodded, clutching my stomach. I must resist.

"And he's probably intending for me to be your first meal."

I nodded again, clenching my jaw.

"That's some sick and twisted game he's playing," Nedyra muttered. "Of all the ways to turn us commoners against each other, this definitely takes the cake for being the most depraved."

That I could agree with. Lord Archibald was among the cruelest I'd ever known. A parasite in each and every sense of the word.

"I won't blame you if you end up succumbing," Nedyra said, looking at me with compassionate eyes.

"I will not kill you," I said through clenched teeth.

"If you want, I could let you feed on me just enough to get by," she said. "You wouldn't have to kill me for that, I don't think."

"I don't want to risk losing control. Taking too much."

"Nymila, it's okay," she said softly. "Even if you do end up killing me, it wouldn't be your fault."

"I know that. But I'd rather you not die. Not for me."

"How about you untie me? That way if you lose control I won't be completely helpless against you."

"You're no fighter. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"You don't know that. He's starved you in here for months. Even for a gnome, you're ridiculously skinny. That means you're not as strong as you used to be."

I sighed. There was no convincing her otherwise. She was too selfless for her own good.

"Fine. But promise me you'll do anything and everything to keep me from killing you."

"I promise," she said, nodding. "I'll tie you up. That way once I start to feel dizzy if I can't get you to let go with words alone I won't have to fight you very hard."

"Not a horrible idea," I said as I began untying her bonds. "I'll try to restrain myself at least until then."

I was grateful she and I were around the same size. Otherwise there might not have been enough rope for her to tie me up with. As soon as I was secured, she laid down next to me, exposing her neck.

I tried to drink slowly. I knew it would allow her body to more easily adapt to the loss of blood than if I drank quickly. I fought hard to restrain myself. But I could feel my willpower slipping away the longer I drank.

I could hear her say something, but I couldn't make out what it was. The blood was a drug. The more I had, the more I craved.

I felt two hands start to pry my jaws open. First it was gentle. Then as my jaws refused to budge, the prying became more and more forceful.

A swift kick to the shin caused me to gasp in pain as Nedyra scrambled out of my reach. My frenzy calmed down slightly as my vision and hearing cleared.

"You feel okay?" Nedyra asked.

"Better," I said as I regained my senses. "You?"

"A little woozy but okay."

"That's good," I said, nodding. "Thank you, by the way."

"Happy to help," Nedyra said with a weak smile. "Now how the hells are we gonna get out of here?"

"I wish I knew," I said, shaking my head. "You'd best get some rest while you can."

"Suppose I'll need my strength if we're gonna fight our way out of here."

"Not exactly what I was thinking, but that's a good point. I'll wake you up if I hear anyone coming. Or if I feel like I'm losing control again and I need you to keep an eye on me. Whichever comes first."

"Sounds good," Nedyra said, curling up on the floor opposite to me. "And try not to worry too much. We'll figure a way out of this mess. Gather the others, storm the castle, topple another tyrant, make life better for everyone."

"I'd like that," I said, a small smile spreading across my face. "Sleep tight."

A few days went by. Or at least I think it was a few days. Hard to tell with no access to the sky. All that I knew was no food or water was brought in for Nedyra. She was getting weaker and weaker with every passing day. And the sustenance she'd provided to me was wearing off.

"Nymila," she said, her voice strained. "I...I don't think I have much longer."

"Don't say that," I said, shaking my head. "You're going to survive this. I promise."

"Not if that door doesn't open soon. And even if it does, unless it's someone coming to rescue us, I'll only slow you down. If anyone's getting out of here in one piece, it'll be you. Not me."

"I refuse to believe that," I said, clenching my fists. "You don't deserve to die.

"I know you don't want to face reality. But it's clear his intention is for me to die. Either by dehydration and starvation or by your hand. Either way he's not gonna open that door until I'm dead."

"I won't kill you. I swore I'd never kill an innocent."

"Look at me, Nymila," Nedyra said, kneeling down next to me. "I'm weak. You're weak. At our current state, neither of us is gonna be able to fight our way out of here. But if I give you my life, you might stand a chance."

"No. I won't entertain this idea any further. You and I are both gonna make it out of here. We're both gonna survive."

"You said it yourself," she said, holding my gaze. "I'm no fighter. Never have been. And at this point, I can barely stand on my own two feet. I'm helpless. But you? You still have strength. You've got experience on the front lines. You still have a significant chance of escaping this place."

I hated that she was making sense. I hated it.

"I don't want innocent blood on my hands," I said, turning my eyes away from her. "I will not be a murderer."

"Don't think of it as murder," she said with a sad smile. "Think of it as a mercy killing. For someone who's used to having ten meals a day, suddenly going without any is torture. I've been trying to hold on to hope, but it's agonizing. You have the power to end my suffering here and now. And give yourself a greater chance at escape."

I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe there was still hope.

"I know you've got a good heart," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know you want to protect the innocent. But you're not gonna be able to save me. Killing me would be the kindest thing you could do for me. I think you know that."

I broke down in tears. I didn't want to believe it. But she was right. There was no denying it.

"Hey," she said, pulling me into a hug. "Just because I'm going to die doesn't mean the world is ending. It doesn't mean the revolution is a lost cause. It just means that I won't live to see our victory."

I couldn't bring myself to speak. The words were just gone.

"This isn't your fault," she said, squeezing me as tightly as she could. Which at this point wasn't very tight. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And there's not a whole lot we as individuals can do about it. But our comrades need you more than they need me. We may have lost this battle, but the war isn't over."

"You don't deserve to die."

"And you didn't deserve to be brought to the brink of starvation and then locked in a room with your best friend. And our good comrades out there don't deserve to be treated like replaceable cogs in a machine. Hardly anybody deserves the hardships they're forced to endure."

"I can't do this."

"I know you don't want to. But what choice is there?"

I sobbed for several minutes as she held me. I could hear her humming softly. I could feel the warmth of her embrace.

"Okay," I said, my face streaked with tears. "I'll do it."

Nedyra undid my bonds, then laid down on the floor in front of me. I lifted her into my arms, gently cradling her frail body.

"Thank you," she said, looking into my eyes. "You've been a wonderful friend."

"You have, too," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll try to be gentle."

"I know you will."

"Are you ready for this?"

Nedyra nodded, closing her eyes and exposing her neck.

With tears in my eyes, I gently bit down into her neck. Her blood was more concentrated this time, no doubt from her dehydration. This time was different from the last. I didn't feel my primal urges taking over. I didn't feel any loss of control. I wished I had. Then I could've at least had something to blame it on. But no. I was willfully draining the life out of my best friend. And I wept bitterly.

I sobbed into her body long after she was dead. I hated myself for killing her, and I hated Lord Archibald for forcing us into this situation. If there was anything wooden around, I would've fashioned it into a stake and plunged it directly into my heart. But alas, I had no such luck.

Hours later, or perhaps days, the door to my cell opened. There stood Lord Archibald. The most depraved of all the tyrants.

"I see you've finally embraced your true nature," he said, a wicked grin on his face.

I said nothing. My tears had long since dried up. Anger was building up inside me.

"Are you ready to be a good little girl?"

I refused to speak.

"I did you a favor, you know," he said, strolling into the room. "I could've drained you dry just like any other cattle. But I gave you my gift. My gift of immortality. You've always dreamed of being treated as an equal. And now you can."

Not like this.

"You can enjoy every decadence this world has to offer. You can feast."

I remained silent as he drew nearer and nearer.

"Come now. Embrace your new life. Be one of us."

Just as he'd gotten close enough to smell the stench of his breath, I lunged at him, sinking my teeth deep into his neck. I held nothing back. Lord Archibald would pay for ripping us away from each other. He would pay for his tyranny over the land. As would every other tyrant. I would not let Nedyra's sacrifice be in vain.

It has been three years since Nedyra's death. The revolution was far from over, but I'd been instrumental in toppling a handful of tyrants already. Barring that, I restricted myself to animals and willing donors only. I may never achieve happiness again. But by the gods, I'm going to keep pushing on. Keep fighting. Just like she would've wanted. My good comrades will achieve the freedom they deserve. It's all a matter of when.